Family Day Event at Smithsonian’s Air and Space MuseumAudience: All Educators and Students
Event Date: Aug. 2, 2014

Free Education Webinar Series From NASA Educator Professional Development — Engineering in the Classroom SeriesAudience: Grades K-12 In-service, Pre-service, Home School and Informal Educators
Next Webinar Date: Aug. 5, 2014, at 7 p.m. EDT

“Ask NICE” Workshops in VirginiaAudience: Middle School and High School Educators
Event Dates: Aug. 6-7, 2014

U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) has introduced a new Postsecondary Sustainability Award for the 2014-2015 cycle. In addition to a total of five school and district nominees, each state may nominate one postsecondary institution for exemplary achievement in all three of the program’s Pillars: Reduced Environmental Impact and Costs, Improved Health and Wellness, and Effective Environmental and Sustainability Education. For this award, state selection committees are particularly encouraged to document how the nominees’ sustainability work has reduced college costs, increased completion rates, led to employment, and ensured robust civic skills among graduates; and to make an effort to consider diverse types of institutions. Interested colleges and universities should contact their state higher education authorities for information on how to apply in their states.

Like the PK-12 awards, this category is entirely voluntary. Hearing from interested colleges and universities may be helpful to state authorities considering 2014 – 2015 participation. State higher education authorities should contact U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools for more information. They can find updated criteria and other state implementation guidance on our website. All state authorities are encouraged to indicate their intent to nominate in 2015 by Aug. 1, 2014.

Competitions vary by state, but most states will be posting their applications in the fall with deadlines to submit to them in the winter. State authorities’ school, district and postsecondary nominations are due to the Department of Education by Feb. 1, 2015. Interested PK-12 schools and districts should continue to contact their state education agencies about the school and district award applications. Do you have doubts about ED-GRS? Some Frequently Asked Questions on all three award categories are available here.

The Smithsonian’s Family Day event series celebrates the diverse ethnic and cultural communities that have contributed to aviation and space exploration. Events will commemorate historic and current contributions through presentations and activities for the entire family. The events are free and open to the public.

We Share STEM! Connecting Across Cultures
Aug. 2, 2014, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. EDT
National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia
Learn about the contributions of scientists and engineers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, professions across cultures. Talk to an astronaut, meet pilots and see their helicopters, including a gyroplane, and participate in hands-on activities. Spanish-language activities and story times along with events featuring Latino STEM professionals will also take place.http://airandspace.si.edu/events/detail.cfm?id=10772Questions about this series of events should be directed to the Visitor Service line at 202-633-1000.

Free Education Webinar Series From NASA Educator Professional Development

NASA Educator Professional Development is presenting a free series of webinars designed to help teachers incorporate engineering design as a problem-solving method. Join NASA education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources to bring NASA into your classroom.

Engineering in the Classroom Part 1: Introduction to Engineering Design
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12Event Date: Aug. 5, 2014, at 7 p.m. EDT
During this 60-minute webinar, participants will focus on an Introduction to Engineering Design.

Engineering in the Classroom Part 2: Single-Class Projects
Audience: Pre-service and In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12Event Date: Aug. 6, 2014, at 7 p.m. EDT
During this 60-minute webinar, participants will focus on a single-class project — ‘Water Filtration.’

Engineering in the Classroom Part 3: Long-Term Projects
Audience: Pre-service and In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12Event Date: Aug. 7, 2014, at 7 p.m. EDT
During this 60-minute webinar, participants will focus on long-term engineering projects.

The NASA Innovations in Climate Education, or NICE, team is going on the road this summer to visit groups of teachers who connected with them for the online sessions offered throughout the 2013-2014 school year.

Onsite “Ask NICE” workshops will be offered during the first week of August to provide NASA Earth Systems Science training for middle and high school teachers. Many NASA resources will be investigated and time will be spent learning how to collect and analyze data. NICE is funded through the Minority University Research and Education Program, or MUREP.

Louisiana Tech University is teaming up with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center to offer a 10-week course for educators interested in putting a space-themed twist on learning. The course is designed to be a self-paced, online professional development experience focusing on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM, education resources available from NASA. These resources have application methods for use in grades 4-9 classrooms with the goal of advancing high quality STEM education utilizing NASA’s unique capabilities.

Ever wonder what it’s like to live and work in space? Find out at the Destination Station exhibit! This multimedia exhibit showcases what it’s like to live aboard the International Space Station. The exhibit will be open to the public through Sept. 2, 2014, at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in San Diego, California.To learn more, visit https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/news/destination_station/index.html.

The Zero Robotics High School Tournament 2014 will take place this fall, offering U. S. high school students the opportunity to design experiments that will be tested in space.

Zero Robotics challenges high school student teams to write their own algorithms to fly the Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites, or SPHERES. The competition starts online where teams compete to solve an annual challenge guided by mentors. Students can create, edit, share, save, simulate and submit code from a Web browser. After several phases of virtual competition, finalists will be selected to compete in a live championship aboard the International Space Station.

Registration for the competition closes on Sept. 5, 2014. The competition begins with a live webcast kickoff event from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Sept. 6, 2014.

Zero Robotics is organized by Massachusetts Institute of Technology Space Systems Laboratory, Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation and TopCoder, and is sponsored by The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, NASA and the Center for Advancement of Science in Space.

NASA has several exciting technical challenges open for universities and colleges. The challenges include the Student Launch, the Robotic Mining Competition, the Human Exploration Rover Challenge, the X-Hab Academic Innovation Challenge, as well other challenges. In order to be successful, teams not only need to master engineering and technical obstacles, they must also raise the funding necessary for equipment and travel expenses.

To help all universities and colleges interested in competing, the NASA Minority Innovation Challenges Institute, or MICI, is hosting a free webinar on Sept. 10, 2014, at 3 p.m. EDT. Topics covered during the session will include:

— Fundraising practices utilized by teams that competed in the 2014 NASA Robotic Mining Competition.
— How to locate potential donors, and the best way to land contributions.
— How to use crowdfunding websites to expand fundraising efforts to regional and national levels.
— Grant opportunities that are open and receptive to funding university teams.

The webinar will be hosted by a certified fundraising executive along with two certified grant writers.

The Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite-2, or ICESat-2, mission will host the 2015 ICESat-2 Mission Hexacopter Engineering Challenge at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, on April 17, 2015. This challenge will task teams of students with measuring the height of Earth around us, from tree canopies to bodies of water. This challenge will be the first of its kind in a yearly series of ICESat-2 engineering challenge events.

Student teams will be selected to participate in this challenge through a proposal and selection process. Participating teams will design and build hexacopter multirotors that can create a digital elevation model of a specific area within a predetermined amount of time. Students will also submit technical and educational reports describing in detail their efforts throughout the competition process.

This challenge is open to undergraduate college students from accredited U.S. colleges and universities. Teams may consist of one to five students and a university mentor/instructor. Due to the nature of the challenge, multidisciplinary teams are encouraged.

Call for Papers — The NACA Centenary: A Symposium on 100 Years of Aerospace Research and Development

The Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum, or NASM, and NASA’s History Program Office invite proposals for papers to a special symposium commemorating a century of aerospace research and development. On March 3, 1915, the U.S. Congress established the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, or NACA, “to separate the real from the imagined and make known the overlooked and unexpected” in the quest for flight. In honor of that centennial, NASA and NASM will team to present a symposium on the history of the NACA. This historical symposium will be held in Washington, District of Columbia, on March 3-4, 2015.

All are invited to submit proposals. Major themes to be addressed in the symposium include:

— The NACA organizational and institutional structure and evolution.
— The NACA model of public/private partnerships in aerospace research.
— The NACA’s contributions to aerospace theory, ground research and flight operations.
— Individual projects.
— Broad themes in the history of the agency.
— Research projects versus other structural attributes.
— The social, economic and/or political history of the NACA.
— The NACA culture and its evolution.
— The relationship of the NACA to other entities, both private and public.
— Innovation in aerospace research.
— Models of partnership.

Possible topics are not restricted to these major themes. All papers are envisioned as scholarly contributions exploring broad thematic issues and questions.

Contributions from international scholars and graduate students with an interest in this history are welcome.

Some travel support scholarships may be available for international scholars and graduate students. Please indicate your interest in a need statement included with your paper proposal.

We intend that a subset of the papers will merit publication.

Proposals for papers should include a title and an abstract, as well as the author’s curriculum vita, and travel support need statement (as appropriate). Please send all proposals, in the form of a 300-word abstract and a brief vita electronically to Dr. William P. Barry, NASA chief historian, at bill.barry@nasa.gov, and Dr. Roger D. Launius, associate director for Collections and Curatorial Affairs at the National Air and Space Museum, launiusr@si.edu. The deadline for abstract submissions is Sept. 15, 2014.

The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN, or MAVEN, mission is set to arrive at Mars on Sept. 21, 2014. Celebrate the arrival with the MAVEN education team at this one-day workshop about the mission and the accompanying elementary program, Red Planet: Read, Write, Explore! The program features six standards-based lessons that combine science, literacy and art to help students understand planetary habitability and the MAVEN mission.

The workshop will include dinner and lectures by MAVEN scientists. Following the workshop, participants will watch the NASA TV broadcast of the MAVEN spacecraft’s arrival at Mars.

The workshop will take place on Sept. 21, 2014, in Boulder, Colorado. Registration is $20 and includes coffee, snacks and dinner. Applications are due Sept. 15, 2014, but space is limited so interested educators are encouraged to apply early.

The John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress in the District of Columbia, in cooperation with the NASA Astrobiology Program, is hosting the second annual Astrobiology Symposium on Sept. 18-19, 2014.

“Preparing for Discovery: A Rational Approach to the Impact of Finding Microbial, Complex or Intelligent Life Beyond Earth,” is a two-day symposium featuring panel discussions, lectures and audience question-and-answer sessions. Panel members include professors, scientists, philosophers and astronomers representing various universities and organizations including NASA, the SETI Institute and the Library of Congress.

The event is free and open to the public. No pre-registration is required.

NASA is inviting people around the world to submit their names to be etched on a microchip aboard a spacecraft headed to the asteroid Bennu in 2016.

The “Messages to Bennu!” microchip will travel to the asteroid aboard the Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith Explorer, or OSIRIS-REx, spacecraft. The robotic mission will spend more than two years at the asteroid, which has a width of approximately 1,760 feet (500 meters). The spacecraft will collect a sample of Bennu’s surface and return it to Earth in a sample return capsule.

The deadline to submit names online is Sept. 30, 2014. Participants who submit their names to the “Messages to Bennu!” campaign will be able to print a certificate of appreciation to document their involvement.

Participants who “follow” or “like” the mission on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/OSIRISREx) will receive updates on the location of their names in space from launch time until the asteroid samples return to Earth in 2023. Facebook fans also will receive mission progress and late-breaking news through regular status updates.

NASA’s One Stop Shopping Initiative for Internships, Fellowships and Scholarships, or OSSI NIFS, strives to provide high school students and undergraduate and graduate students at all institutions of higher education access to a portfolio of internship, fellowship and scholarship opportunities offered by NASA mission directorates and centers.

Visit the Office of Education Infrastructure Division LaunchPad to find information on internship, fellowship and scholarship opportunities. The site features the OSSI NIFS online application for recruiting NASA interns, fellows and scholars. This innovative system allows students to search and apply for all types of higher education NASA internship, fellowship and scholarship opportunities in one location. A single application places the student in the applicant pool for consideration by all NASA mentors.

The American Geosciences Institute is sponsoring a series of contests to celebrate Earth Science Week 2014. This year’s celebration takes place Oct. 12-18, 2014.

Earth Science Week 2014 Photography Contest — Open to All Ageshttp://www.earthsciweek.org/contests/photography/index.html
Earth science is the study of the geosphere (land), hydrosphere (water), atmosphere (air) and biosphere (living things). These spheres — or earth systems — are continually affecting and influencing one another. In our homes, in our neighborhoods, in our workplaces and in our public gathering places, we can observe the dynamic interactions of “earth system science.” In a photograph, capture evidence of the connections of earth systems in your community.

Earth Science Week 2014 Visual Arts Contest — Open to Students in Grades K-5http://www.earthsciweek.org/contests/visualarts/index.html
Earth scientists — or geoscientists — study land, water, air and living things. In particular, these scientists pay attention to the ways these “connected systems” affect each other. For example, scientists study how water shapes the land, how living things use air and how air and water act on each other. How do these connected systems affect you? Use artwork to show how land, water, air and living things are connected in the world around you.

Earth Science Week 2014 Essay Contest — Open to Students in Grades 6-9http://www.earthsciweek.org/contests/essay/index.html
Our planet’s land, water, air, and living things each affect and are affected by one another. Earth scientists observe these interactions among earth systems — the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere. Scientists study these interactions to seize opportunities and address challenges in areas such as harnessing energy, farming land, ensuring safe water, preparing for natural disasters, protecting the environment and building communities. Explain one way that geoscientists’ study of Earth’s connected systems is helping to improve the world today.

The entry deadline for all three contests is Oct. 17, 2014. Visit the contest websites for full details.

If you have any questions about these contests, please email the Earth Science Week staff at info@earthsciweek.org.

The NASA Postdoctoral Program, or NPP, supports NASA’s goal to expand scientific understanding of the Earth and the universe in which we live.

Selected by a competitive peer-review process, NPP fellows complete one- to three-year fellowships that offer scientists and engineers unique opportunities to conduct research in fields of science relevant to NASA.

As a result, NPP fellows contribute to national priorities for scientific exploration, confirm NASA’s leadership in fundamental research and complement the efforts of NASA’s partners in the national science community.

U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents and foreign nationals eligible for J-1 status as a research scholar may apply. Applicants must have completed a doctorate or equivalent degree before beginning the fellowship, but may apply while completing degree requirements. Applicants who earned the Ph.D. more than five years before the deadline date are categorized as senior fellows; all applicants, no matter their category, must apply and become eligible for an NPP award via the same process.

Interested applicants may apply by one of three annual application deadlines: March 1, July 1 and November 1.

Check out the following NASA opportunities for the education community. Full descriptions are listed below.

Free Education Webinar Series From NASA Educator Professional DevelopmentAudience: Grades K-12 In-service, Pre-service, Home School and Informal Educators
Next Webinar Date: July 24, 2014, at 7 p.m. EDT

Family Day Events at Smithsonian’s Air and Space MuseumAudience: All Educators and Students
Next Event Date: July 25, 2014

“Ask NICE” Workshops in VirginiaAudience: Middle School and High School Educators
Event Dates: Aug. 6-7, 2014

Research Opportunities for International Space Station (ISS) Utilization Including Higher Education Opportunities
Deadlines: White papers must be submitted on or before 5 p.m. EDT, Aug. 29, 2014. Full proposals must be submitted on or before 5 p.m. EDT, Nov. 14, 2014.

Free Education Webinar Series From NASA Educator Professional Development

NASA Educator Professional Development is presenting a series of free webinars open to all educators. Join NASA education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources to bring NASA into your classroom.

Earth Science Series Part 2: Where Are We?
Audience: Pre-service and In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12Event Date: July 24, 2014, at 7 p.m. EDT
This webinar is the second in a free webinar series to introduce educators to earth science activities with an emphasis on the geological features of Earth and other planets in our solar system. Participants will learn how to use the game introduced in Part 1 to compare geological features on Earth with features on Mars.

Earth Science Series Part 3: Our Earth — View From Space
Audience: Pre-service and In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-8Event Date: July 29, 2014, at 2 p.m. EDT
This webinar is the third in a free webinar series to introduce educators to earth science activities with an emphasis on the geological features of Earth and other planets in our solar system. Participants will gain a unique perspective on satellite images by examining and interpreting data received from orbiting resources.

Earth Science Series Part 3: EarthKAM — Pictures of Earth
Audience: Pre-service and In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-8Event Date: July 30, 2014, at 7 p.m. EDT
This webinar is the fourth in a free webinar series to introduce educators to earth science activities with an emphasis on the geological features of Earth and other planets in our solar system. Participants will learn about Sally Ride EarthKAM, a NASA educational outreach program that uses a camera on the space station to let middle school students request images of specific locations on Earth.

The Smithsonian’s Family Day event series celebrates the diverse ethnic and cultural communities that have contributed to aviation and space exploration. Events will commemorate historic and current contributions through presentations and activities for the entire family. The events are free and open to the public.

Discover the Moon Day!
July 25, 2014, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. EDT
National Air and Space Museum in Washington, District of ColumbiaCelebrate Earth’s moon! Interact one-on-one with Museum scientists who are active in lunar research, learn about current and past lunar missions and spacecraft, see 3-D images of the moon’s surface and more!http://airandspace.si.edu/events/moonday/

We Share STEM! Connecting Across Cultures
Aug. 2, 2014, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. EDT
National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia
Learn about the contributions of scientists and engineers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, professions across cultures. Talk to an astronaut, meet pilots and see their helicopters, including a gyroplane, and participate in hands-on activities. Spanish-language activities and story times along with events featuring Latino STEM professionals will also take place.http://airandspace.si.edu/events/detail.cfm?id=10772Questions about this series of events should be directed to the Visitor Service line at 202-633-1000.

In support of our nation’s commitment to training and retaining 100,000 science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, teachers over the next decade through the 100Kin10 initiative, NASA’s Earth Science Project Office and NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center’s Office of Education are recruiting up to 24 STEM and language arts teachers to participate in the Airborne Research Experience for Educators Academy, a five-day research experience from July 28 – Aug. 1, 2014, at the Aerospace Education Research Operations Institute in Palmdale, California. Applicants can be formal (traditional classrooms, public or private) or informal (museum, science center, etc.) educators of grades K-12.

Through interactions with NASA’s unique content, facilities and personnel, the academy will focus on three education goals through a variety of interfaces, including virtual, in-person and self-directed learning:

Participants will be anchored in a community of scientific practice through an end-to-end airborne experience that will focus on two NASA earth science missions:

1. Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel, an investigation of how tropical storms form and develop into hurricanes.
2. Airborne Tropical Tropopause Experiment, a study of atmospheric compound concentrations and their impact on the Earth’s climate and energy budget.

To increase core scientific knowledge, participants will attend technical seminars from mission scientists and engineers, and observe how NASA conducts cutting-edge aeronautical and airborne science research at the Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards, California and at the center’s Building 703, a science and aircraft integration facility in Palmdale, California. Technical content may include subject matter in natural events (e.g., earthquakes, volcanoes and hurricanes), climate, remote sensing, atmospheric chemistry and other relevant subjects.

Further, educators will learn to develop computational and critical thinking skills through an introduction to computer programming using the Arduino microcontroller, and attend pedagogic workshops that focus on engineering design, inquiry-based instruction, and integration of technology and data-focused curricula into the classroom. Experiences will be translated into teaching practice through the use of NASA STEM-based resources, and development of a post-workshop STEM action plan.

This opportunity will remain open until all seats are filled. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, and can apply as individuals or as an interdisciplinary team of two to three persons.

Learn more about the GLOBE Program’s Next Generation Science Standards, or NGSS, Alignment resources with the following webinars. Each webinar will include discussion on how to integrate and align resources into GLOBE Professional Development workshops.

GLOBE and NGSS Alignment for GLOBE Partnerships and Trainers — July 29, 2014 at 3 p.m. EDTFind out about The GLOBE Program’s NGSS Alignment resources for United States GLOBE partners and trainers.

Lessons Learned – Developing the Alignment Between the Next Generation Science Standards and GLOBE — July 29, 2014 at 5 p.m. EDTIs your organization planning to undergo the process of aligning curriculum materials to Next Generation Science Standards? Listen as members of the GLOBE Program alignment team share lessons learned from the yearlong alignment project.

U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) has introduced a new Postsecondary Sustainability Award for the 2014-2015 cycle. In addition to a total of five school and district nominees, each state may nominate one postsecondary institution for exemplary achievement in all three of the program’s Pillars: Reduced Environmental Impact and Costs, Improved Health and Wellness, and Effective Environmental and Sustainability Education. For this award, state selection committees are particularly encouraged to document how the nominees’ sustainability work has reduced college costs, increased completion rates, led to employment, and ensured robust civic skills among graduates; and to make an effort to consider diverse types of institutions. Interested colleges and universities should contact their state higher education authorities for information on how to apply in their states.

Like the PK-12 awards, this category is entirely voluntary. Hearing from interested colleges and universities may be helpful to state authorities considering 2014 – 2015 participation. State higher education authorities should contact U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools for more information. They can find updated criteria and other state implementation guidance on our website. All state authorities are encouraged to indicate their intent to nominate in 2015 by Aug. 1, 2014.

Competitions vary by state, but most states will be posting their applications in the fall with deadlines to submit to them in the winter. State authorities’ school, district and postsecondary nominations are due to the Department of Education by Feb. 1, 2015. Interested PK-12 schools and districts should continue to contact their state education agencies about the school and district award applications. Do you have doubts about ED-GRS? Some Frequently Asked Questions on all three award categories are available here.

The NASA Innovations in Climate Education, or NICE, team is going on the road this summer to visit groups of teachers who connected with them for the online sessions offered throughout the 2013-2014 school year.

Onsite “Ask NICE” workshops will be offered during the first week of August to provide NASA Earth Systems Science training for middle and high school teachers. Many NASA resources will be investigated and time will be spent learning how to collect and analyze data. NICE is funded through the Minority University Research and Education Program, or MUREP.

Research Opportunities for International Space Station (ISS) Utilization Including Higher Education Opportunities

The NASA Research Announcement (NRA) NNJ13ZBG001N: Soliciting Proposals for Exploration Technology Demonstration and National Lab Utilization Enhancements has been amended to include an opportunity for Earth Observations Science Education Outreach. This opportunity is offered in part as a competitive pilot project in conjunction with NASA Headquarters’ Office of Education (OE) and OE at Johnson Space Center.

Proposals need to demonstrate the ability to provide a turnkey educational outreach program in Earth observation sciences for K-12 students utilizing existing ISS still digital cameras, laptops and available software to capture student-requested earth imagery for use in STEM-based curricula support across the nation.

White papers must be submitted on or before 5 p.m. EDT, Aug. 29, 2014. Full proposals must be submitted on or before 5 p.m. EDT, Nov. 14, 2014.

Louisiana Tech University is teaming up with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center to offer a 10-week course for educators interested in putting a space-themed twist on learning. The course is designed to be a self-paced, online professional development experience focusing on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM, education resources available from NASA. These resources have application methods for use in grades 4-9 classrooms with the goal of advancing high quality STEM education utilizing NASA’s unique capabilities.

Ever wonder what it’s like to live and work in space? Find out at the Destination Station exhibit! This multimedia exhibit showcases what it’s like to live aboard the International Space Station. The exhibit will be open to the public through Sept. 2, 2014, at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in San Diego, California.To learn more, visit https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/news/destination_station/index.html.

The Zero Robotics High School Tournament 2014 will take place this fall, offering U. S. high school students the opportunity to design experiments that will be tested in space.

Zero Robotics challenges high school student teams to write their own algorithms to fly the Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites, or SPHERES. The competition starts online where teams compete to solve an annual challenge guided by mentors. Students can create, edit, share, save, simulate and submit code from a Web browser. After several phases of virtual competition, finalists will be selected to compete in a live championship aboard the International Space Station.

Registration for the competition closes on Sept. 5, 2014. The competition begins with a live webcast kickoff event from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Sept. 6, 2014.

Zero Robotics is organized by Massachusetts Institute of Technology Space Systems Laboratory, Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation and TopCoder, and is sponsored by The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, NASA and the Center for Advancement of Science in Space.

NASA has several exciting technical challenges open for universities and colleges. The challenges include the Student Launch, the Robotic Mining Competition, the Human Exploration Rover Challenge, the X-Hab Academic Innovation Challenge, as well other challenges. In order to be successful, teams not only need to master engineering and technical obstacles, they must also raise the funding necessary for equipment and travel expenses.

To help all universities and colleges interested in competing, the NASA Minority Innovation Challenges Institute, or MICI, is hosting a free webinar on Sept. 10, 2014, at 3 p.m. EDT. Topics covered during the session will include:

— Fundraising practices utilized by teams that competed in the 2014 NASA Robotic Mining Competition.
— How to locate potential donors, and the best way to land contributions.
— How to use crowdfunding websites to expand fundraising efforts to regional and national levels.
— Grant opportunities that are open and receptive to funding university teams.

The webinar will be hosted by a certified fundraising executive along with two certified grant writers.

The Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite-2, or ICESat-2, mission will host the 2015 ICESat-2 Mission Hexacopter Engineering Challenge at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, on April 17, 2015. This challenge will task teams of students with measuring the height of Earth around us, from tree canopies to bodies of water. This challenge will be the first of its kind in a yearly series of ICESat-2 engineering challenge events.

Student teams will be selected to participate in this challenge through a proposal and selection process. Participating teams will design and build hexacopter multirotors that can create a digital elevation model of a specific area within a predetermined amount of time. Students will also submit technical and educational reports describing in detail their efforts throughout the competition process.

This challenge is open to undergraduate college students from accredited U.S. colleges and universities. Teams may consist of one to five students and a university mentor/instructor. Due to the nature of the challenge, multidisciplinary teams are encouraged.

Call for Papers — The NACA Centenary: A Symposium on 100 Years of Aerospace Research and Development

The Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum, or NASM, and NASA’s History Program Office invite proposals for papers to a special symposium commemorating a century of aerospace research and development. On March 3, 1915, the U.S. Congress established the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, or NACA, “to separate the real from the imagined and make known the overlooked and unexpected” in the quest for flight. In honor of that centennial, NASA and NASM will team to present a symposium on the history of the NACA. This historical symposium will be held in Washington, District of Columbia, on March 3-4, 2015.

All are invited to submit proposals. Major themes to be addressed in the symposium include:

— The NACA organizational and institutional structure and evolution.
— The NACA model of public/private partnerships in aerospace research.
— The NACA’s contributions to aerospace theory, ground research and flight operations.
— Individual projects.
— Broad themes in the history of the agency.
— Research projects versus other structural attributes.
— The social, economic and/or political history of the NACA.
— The NACA culture and its evolution.
— The relationship of the NACA to other entities, both private and public.
— Innovation in aerospace research.
— Models of partnership.

Possible topics are not restricted to these major themes. All papers are envisioned as scholarly contributions exploring broad thematic issues and questions.

Contributions from international scholars and graduate students with an interest in this history are welcome.

Some travel support scholarships may be available for international scholars and graduate students. Please indicate your interest in a need statement included with your paper proposal.

We intend that a subset of the papers will merit publication.

Proposals for papers should include a title and an abstract, as well as the author’s curriculum vita, and travel support need statement (as appropriate). Please send all proposals, in the form of a 300-word abstract and a brief vita electronically to Dr. William P. Barry, NASA chief historian, at bill.barry@nasa.gov, and Dr. Roger D. Launius, associate director for Collections and Curatorial Affairs at the National Air and Space Museum, launiusr@si.edu. The deadline for abstract submissions is Sept. 15, 2014.

The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN, or MAVEN, mission is set to arrive at Mars on Sept. 21, 2014. Celebrate the arrival with the MAVEN education team at this one-day workshop about the mission and the accompanying elementary program, Red Planet: Read, Write, Explore! The program features six standards-based lessons that combine science, literacy and art to help students understand planetary habitability and the MAVEN mission.

The workshop will include dinner and lectures by MAVEN scientists. Following the workshop, participants will watch the NASA TV broadcast of the MAVEN spacecraft’s arrival at Mars.

The workshop will take place on Sept. 21, 2014, in Boulder, Colorado. Registration is $20 and includes coffee, snacks and dinner. Applications are due Sept. 15, 2014, but space is limited so interested educators are encouraged to apply early.

The John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress in the District of Columbia, in cooperation with the NASA Astrobiology Program, is hosting the second annual Astrobiology Symposium on Sept. 18-19, 2014.

“Preparing for Discovery: A Rational Approach to the Impact of Finding Microbial, Complex or Intelligent Life Beyond Earth,” is a two-day symposium featuring panel discussions, lectures and audience question-and-answer sessions. Panel members include professors, scientists, philosophers and astronomers representing various universities and organizations including NASA, the SETI Institute and the Library of Congress.

The event is free and open to the public. No pre-registration is required.

NASA is inviting people around the world to submit their names to be etched on a microchip aboard a spacecraft headed to the asteroid Bennu in 2016.

The “Messages to Bennu!” microchip will travel to the asteroid aboard the Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith Explorer, or OSIRIS-REx, spacecraft. The robotic mission will spend more than two years at the asteroid, which has a width of approximately 1,760 feet (500 meters). The spacecraft will collect a sample of Bennu’s surface and return it to Earth in a sample return capsule.

The deadline to submit names online is Sept. 30, 2014. Participants who submit their names to the “Messages to Bennu!” campaign will be able to print a certificate of appreciation to document their involvement.

Participants who “follow” or “like” the mission on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/OSIRISREx) will receive updates on the location of their names in space from launch time until the asteroid samples return to Earth in 2023. Facebook fans also will receive mission progress and late-breaking news through regular status updates.

NASA’s One Stop Shopping Initiative for Internships, Fellowships and Scholarships, or OSSI NIFS, strives to provide high school students and undergraduate and graduate students at all institutions of higher education access to a portfolio of internship, fellowship and scholarship opportunities offered by NASA mission directorates and centers.

Visit the Office of Education Infrastructure Division LaunchPad to find information on internship, fellowship and scholarship opportunities. The site features the OSSI NIFS online application for recruiting NASA interns, fellows and scholars. This innovative system allows students to search and apply for all types of higher education NASA internship, fellowship and scholarship opportunities in one location. A single application places the student in the applicant pool for consideration by all NASA mentors.

Check out the following NASA opportunities for the education community. Full descriptions are listed below.

Free Education Webinar Series From NASA Educator Professional DevelopmentAudience: Grades K-12 In-service, Pre-service, Home School and Informal Educators
Next Webinar Date: July 17, 2014, at 5 p.m. EDT

Destination Station: San DiegoAudience: All Educators and Students
Events Daily Through July 20, 2014

Free Education Webinar Series From NASA Educator Professional Development

NASA Educator Professional Development is presenting a series of free webinars open to all educators. Join NASA education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources to bring NASA into your classroom.

Solar System and the Periodic Table
Audience: Pre-service and in-service, Home School and Informal Educators of grades 3-12Event Date: July 17, 2014, at 5 p.m. EDT
During this 60-minute webinar, participants will journey from the center to the outer boundaries of our solar system and discover that the periodic table is everywhere!

Space Mathematics Series Part 1: Linking Math and Science
Audience: Pre-service and In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-8Event Date: July 22, 2014, at 7 p.m. EDT
This webinar is the first in a free two-part webinar series to introduce grades 5-8 educators to NASA education resources designed to help make the critical linkage between mathematics and science in the classroom. Participants will discuss the use of linking science as a vehicle for mathematics instruction. Resources include Common Core Mathematics: expressions, equations, statistics, probability, geometry and functions.

Earth Science Series Part 1: Blue MarbleAudience: Pre-service and In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12Event Date: July 23, 2014, at 2 p.m. EDT
This webinar is the first in a free two-part webinar series to introduce educators to earth science activities with an emphasis on the geological features of Earth and other planets in our solar system. Participants will be introduced to a game that lets students assume the roles of geologists and planetary scientist to learn about geological processes.

Space Mathematics Series Part 2: Active Math
Audience: Pre-service and In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-8Event Date: July 23, 2014, at 7 p.m. EDT
This webinar is the second in a free two-part webinar series to introduce grades 5-8 educators to NASA education resources designed to help make the critical linkage between mathematics and science in the classroom. Participants will discuss how to use inquiry to reinforce mathematics skills while engaging students with hands on activities. Items covered include Common Core mathematics such as measurement and data, and geometry.

Earth Science Series Part 2: Where Are We?
Audience: Pre-service and In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12Event Date: July 24, 2014, at 7 p.m. EDT
This webinar is the second in a free two-part webinar series to introduce educators to earth science activities with an emphasis on the geological features of Earth and other planets in our solar system. Participants will learn how to use the game introduced in Part 1 to compare geological features on Earth with features on Mars.

Ever wonder what it’s like to live and work in space? Find out directly from NASA astronauts at the Destination Station event taking place in San Diego, California, through July 20, 2014.

During the event, NASA will share the accomplishments, promise and opportunities for research aboard the International Space Station. Plus, NASA’s newest exhibit, Destination Station, will be on hand. This multimedia exhibit showcases what it’s like to live aboard the International Space Station. The exhibit will be open to the public through Sept. 2 at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in San Diego.To learn more and to see a schedule of events, visit https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/news/destination_station/index.html.

NASA is seeking proposals from universities to advance the agency’s plans for exploration to deep space and Mars. The Early Stage Innovations NASA Research Announcement calls for innovative space technology proposals that could benefit the space program, other government agencies and the greater aerospace community.

Aligned with NASA’s Space Technology Roadmaps and priorities identified by the National Research Council, NASA selected topic areas that lend themselves to pioneering approaches where U.S. universities can help solve tough space technology challenges.

“The sparks to fuel the fire of innovation that will develop the new space technologies of tomorrow reside within American universities,” said Michael Gazarik, NASA’s associate administrator for the Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in the District of Columbia. “These investments benefit government space technology development and our future missions, while also boosting economic growth and competitiveness.”

NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, or STMD, expects to make approximately 12 awards this fall, with total award amounts of up to $500,000. Research and development efforts will take place over two to three years.

Only accredited U.S. universities may submit proposals under this solicitation. The deadline for submitting final proposals is July 23, 2014. To view the announcement and information for submitting proposals, visit http://go.nasa.gov/1mRS9y8.

NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate is innovating, developing, testing and flying hardware for use in NASA’s future missions. Over the next 18 months, the directorate will make significant new investments to address several high-priority challenges for achieving safe and affordable deep space exploration.

The current topic areas support four of eight key STMD technology thrust areas: advanced life support and resource use, Mars entry descent and landing systems, space robotic systems, and lightweight space structures. Additionally, the technology topics solicited support the effort to send humans to Mars as well as outer planetary investment priorities.

The Smithsonian’s Family Day event series celebrates the diverse ethnic and cultural communities that have contributed to aviation and space exploration. Events will commemorate historic and current contributions through presentations and activities for the entire family. The events are free and open to the public.

Discover the Moon Day!
July 25, 2014, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. EDT
National Air and Space Museum in Washington, District of ColumbiaCelebrate Earth’s moon! Interact one-on-one with Museum scientists who are active in lunar research, learn about current and past lunar missions and spacecraft, see 3-D images of the moon’s surface and more!http://airandspace.si.edu/events/moonday/

We Share STEM! Connecting Across Cultures
Aug. 2, 2014, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. EDT
National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia
Learn about the contributions of scientists and engineers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, professions across cultures. Talk to an astronaut, meet pilots and see their helicopters, including a gyroplane, and participate in hands-on activities. Spanish-language activities and story times along with events featuring Latino STEM professionals will also take place.http://airandspace.si.edu/events/detail.cfm?id=10772Questions about this series of events should be directed to the Visitor Service line at 202-633-1000.

In support of our nation’s commitment to training and retaining 100,000 science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, teachers over the next decade through the 100Kin10 initiative, NASA’s Earth Science Project Office and NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center’s Office of Education are recruiting up to 24 STEM and language arts teachers to participate in the Airborne Research Experience for Educators Academy, a five-day research experience from July 28 – Aug. 1, 2014, at the Aerospace Education Research Operations Institute in Palmdale, California. Applicants can be formal (traditional classrooms, public or private) or informal (museum, science center, etc.) educators of grades K-12.

Through interactions with NASA’s unique content, facilities and personnel, the academy will focus on three education goals through a variety of interfaces, including virtual, in-person and self-directed learning:

Participants will be anchored in a community of scientific practice through an end-to-end airborne experience that will focus on two NASA earth science missions:

1. Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel, an investigation of how tropical storms form and develop into hurricanes.
2. Airborne Tropical Tropopause Experiment, a study of atmospheric compound concentrations and their impact on the Earth’s climate and energy budget.

To increase core scientific knowledge, participants will attend technical seminars from mission scientists and engineers, and observe how NASA conducts cutting-edge aeronautical and airborne science research at the Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards, California and at the center’s Building 703, a science and aircraft integration facility in Palmdale, California. Technical content may include subject matter in natural events (e.g., earthquakes, volcanoes and hurricanes), climate, remote sensing, atmospheric chemistry and other relevant subjects.

Further, educators will learn to develop computational and critical thinking skills through an introduction to computer programming using the Arduino microcontroller, and attend pedagogic workshops that focus on engineering design, inquiry-based instruction, and integration of technology and data-focused curricula into the classroom. Experiences will be translated into teaching practice through the use of NASA STEM-based resources, and development of a post-workshop STEM action plan.

This opportunity will remain open until all seats are filled. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, and can apply as individuals or as an interdisciplinary team of two to three persons.

Learn more about the GLOBE Program’s Next Generation Science Standards, or NGSS, Alignment resources with the following webinars. Each webinar will include discussion on how to integrate and align resources into GLOBE Professional Development workshops.

GLOBE and NGSS Alignment for GLOBE Partnerships and Trainers — July 29, 2014 at 3 p.m. EDTFind out about The GLOBE Program’s NGSS Alignment resources for United States GLOBE partners and trainers.

Lessons Learned – Developing the Alignment Between the Next Generation Science Standards and GLOBE — July 29, 2014 at 5 p.m. EDTIs your organization planning to undergo the process of aligning curriculum materials to Next Generation Science Standards? Listen as members of the GLOBE Program alignment team share lessons learned from the yearlong alignment project.

U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) has introduced a new Postsecondary Sustainability Award for the 2014-2015 cycle. In addition to a total of five school and district nominees, each state may nominate one postsecondary institution for exemplary achievement in all three of the program’s Pillars: Reduced Environmental Impact and Costs, Improved Health and Wellness, and Effective Environmental and Sustainability Education. For this award, state selection committees are particularly encouraged to document how the nominees’ sustainability work has reduced college costs, increased completion rates, led to employment, and ensured robust civic skills among graduates; and to make an effort to consider diverse types of institutions. Interested colleges and universities should contact their state higher education authorities for information on how to apply in their states.

Like the PK-12 awards, this category is entirely voluntary. Hearing from interested colleges and universities may be helpful to state authorities considering 2014 – 2015 participation. State higher education authorities should contact U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools for more information. They can find updated criteria and other state implementation guidance on our website. All state authorities are encouraged to indicate their intent to nominate in 2015 by Aug. 1, 2014.

Competitions vary by state, but most states will be posting their applications in the fall with deadlines to submit to them in the winter. State authorities’ school, district and postsecondary nominations are due to the Department of Education by Feb. 1, 2015. Interested PK-12 schools and districts should continue to contact their state education agencies about the school and district award applications. Do you have doubts about ED-GRS? Some Frequently Asked Questions on all three award categories are available here.

The NASA Innovations in Climate Education, or NICE, team is going on the road this summer to visit groups of teachers who connected with them for the online sessions offered throughout the 2013-2014 school year.

Onsite “Ask NICE” workshops will be offered during the first week of August to provide NASA Earth Systems Science training for middle and high school teachers. Many NASA resources will be investigated and time will be spent learning how to collect and analyze data. NICE is funded through the Minority University Research and Education Program, or MUREP.

Louisiana Tech University is teaming up with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center to offer a 10-week course for educators interested in putting a space-themed twist on learning. The course is designed to be a self-paced, online professional development experience focusing on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM, education resources available from NASA. These resources have application methods for use in grades 4-9 classrooms with the goal of advancing high quality STEM education utilizing NASA’s unique capabilities.

The Zero Robotics High School Tournament 2014 will take place this fall, offering U. S. high school students the opportunity to design experiments that will be tested in space.

Zero Robotics challenges high school student teams to write their own algorithms to fly the Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites, or SPHERES. The competition starts online where teams compete to solve an annual challenge guided by mentors. Students can create, edit, share, save, simulate and submit code from a Web browser. After several phases of virtual competition, finalists will be selected to compete in a live championship aboard the International Space Station.

Registration for the competition closes on Sept. 5, 2014. The competition begins with a live webcast kickoff event from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Sept. 6, 2014.

Zero Robotics is organized by Massachusetts Institute of Technology Space Systems Laboratory, Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation and TopCoder, and is sponsored by The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, NASA and the Center for Advancement of Science in Space.

The Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite-2, or ICESat-2, mission will host the 2015 ICESat-2 Mission Hexacopter Engineering Challenge at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, on April 17, 2015. This challenge will task teams of students with measuring the height of Earth around us, from tree canopies to bodies of water. This challenge will be the first of its kind in a yearly series of ICESat-2 engineering challenge events.

Student teams will be selected to participate in this challenge through a proposal and selection process. Participating teams will design and build hexacopter multirotors that can create a digital elevation model of a specific area within a predetermined amount of time. Students will also submit technical and educational reports describing in detail their efforts throughout the competition process.

This challenge is open to undergraduate college students from accredited U.S. colleges and universities. Teams may consist of one to five students and a university mentor/instructor. Due to the nature of the challenge, multidisciplinary teams are encouraged.

Call for Papers — The NACA Centenary: A Symposium on 100 Years of Aerospace Research and Development

The Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum, or NASM, and NASA’s History Program Office invite proposals for papers to a special symposium commemorating a century of aerospace research and development. On March 3, 1915, the U.S. Congress established the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, or NACA, “to separate the real from the imagined and make known the overlooked and unexpected” in the quest for flight. In honor of that centennial, NASA and NASM will team to present a symposium on the history of the NACA. This historical symposium will be held in Washington, District of Columbia, on March 3-4, 2015.

All are invited to submit proposals. Major themes to be addressed in the symposium include:

— The NACA organizational and institutional structure and evolution.
— The NACA model of public/private partnerships in aerospace research.
— The NACA’s contributions to aerospace theory, ground research and flight operations.
— Individual projects.
— Broad themes in the history of the agency.
— Research projects versus other structural attributes.
— The social, economic and/or political history of the NACA.
— The NACA culture and its evolution.
— The relationship of the NACA to other entities, both private and public.
— Innovation in aerospace research.
— Models of partnership.

Possible topics are not restricted to these major themes. All papers are envisioned as scholarly contributions exploring broad thematic issues and questions.

Contributions from international scholars and graduate students with an interest in this history are welcome.

Some travel support scholarships may be available for international scholars and graduate students. Please indicate your interest in a need statement included with your paper proposal.

We intend that a subset of the papers will merit publication.

Proposals for papers should include a title and an abstract, as well as the author’s curriculum vita, and travel support need statement (as appropriate). Please send all proposals, in the form of a 300-word abstract and a brief vita electronically to Dr. William P. Barry, NASA chief historian, at bill.barry@nasa.gov, and Dr. Roger D. Launius, associate director for Collections and Curatorial Affairs at the National Air and Space Museum, launiusr@si.edu. The deadline for abstract submissions is Sept. 15, 2014.

The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN, or MAVEN, mission is set to arrive at Mars on Sept. 21, 2014. Celebrate the arrival with the MAVEN education team at this one-day workshop about the mission and the accompanying elementary program, Red Planet: Read, Write, Explore! The program features six standards-based lessons that combine science, literacy and art to help students understand planetary habitability and the MAVEN mission.

The workshop will include dinner and lectures by MAVEN scientists. Following the workshop, participants will watch the NASA TV broadcast of the MAVEN spacecraft’s arrival at Mars.

The workshop will take place on Sept. 21, 2014, in Boulder, Colorado. Registration is $20 and includes coffee, snacks and dinner. Applications are due Sept. 15, 2014, but space is limited so interested educators are encouraged to apply early.

The John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress in the District of Columbia, in cooperation with the NASA Astrobiology Program, is hosting the second annual Astrobiology Symposium on Sept. 18-19, 2014.

“Preparing for Discovery: A Rational Approach to the Impact of Finding Microbial, Complex or Intelligent Life Beyond Earth,” is a two-day symposium featuring panel discussions, lectures and audience question-and-answer sessions. Panel members include professors, scientists, philosophers and astronomers representing various universities and organizations including NASA, the SETI Institute and the Library of Congress.

The event is free and open to the public. No pre-registration is required.

The Humans in Space Art Program and NASA’s International Space Station Program have teamed up to launch the international Humans in Space Art Challenge. How will humans use space science and technology to benefit humanity? College students and early career professionals are invited to ponder this question and to express an answer creatively in a video less than three minutes long. Video artwork can be of any style, featuring original animation, sketches, music, live action drama, poetry, dance, Rube Goldberg machines, apps, etc. Younger students may also participate, but all artwork will be judged in one age category.

Individuals or teams of participants should include one clear reference to the International Space Station in their videos and may use space station footage if desired.

An interdisciplinary team of space representatives and art experts will evaluate the videos. NASA and the Humans in Space Art program will make the highest scoring artwork visible worldwide through online and local touring events. NASA will also take the winning video on a trip into orbit on the International Space Station and provide montages with flown patches for winners.

Destination Station: San DiegoAudience: All Educators and Students
Event Dates: July 13-20, 2014

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s National Summer Teacher Institute on Innovation, STEM and Intellectual PropertyAudience: Middle School and High School Educators
Application Deadline: July 14, 2014
Event Date: Aug. 10-14, 2014

Call for Proposals to Develop Coursework for the InTeGrate ProjectAudience: Higher Education Faculty and Instructors
Proposal Deadline: July 15, 2014

Sally Ride EarthKAM Announces the 2014 Summer MissionAudience: Middle School Educators and Students, and the Informal Education Community
Mission Dates: July 15-19, 2014

Free Education Webinar Series From NASA Educator Professional DevelopmentAudience: Grades 3-12 In-service, Pre-service, Home School and Informal Educators
Next Webinar Date: July 15, 2014, at 11 a.m. EDT

Family Day Events at Smithsonian’s Air and Space MuseumAudience: All Educators and Students
Next Event Date: July 16, 2014

Free Lecture — Exploring Pluto and Its Satellites at the Solar System’s FrontierAudience: All Educators and 9-Higher Education Students
Event Date: July 16, 2014, at 8 p.m. EDT

NASA’s Space Life and Physical Sciences Office and the International Space Station Program Office are seeking hypothesis-driven research concept papers that use the International Space Station as a microgravity platform in the space life and physical sciences disciplines.

Concept papers should describe ground-based research that can be enhanced by flying in a microgravity environment on the space station. Concept papers selected will have the opportunity to submit a full flight proposal based on the merit of the research presented. NASA anticipates selecting 10 submissions to receive monetary awards. Selected awardees will be invited to submit full proposals on their research, which may result in one flight opportunity for student researchers.

Graduate students and post-doctoral fellows from all categories of U.S. institutions who have never conducted or been involved in space research are eligible to submit papers. Student research and scientists from EPSCoR (Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) jurisdiction institutions are specifically encouraged to participate.

Ever wonder what it’s like to live and work in space? Find out directly from NASA astronauts at the Destination Station event taking place in San Diego, California, July 13-20, 2014.

During the event, NASA will share the accomplishments, promise and opportunities for research aboard the International Space Station. Plus, NASA’s newest exhibit, Destination Station, will be on hand. This multimedia exhibit showcases what it’s like to live aboard the International Space Station. The exhibit will be open to the public through Sept. 2 at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in San Diego.To learn more and to see a schedule of events, visit https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/news/destination_station/index.html.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s National Summer Teacher Institute on Innovation, STEM and Intellectual Property

The United States Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, will host its first National Summer Teacher Institute on Innovation, STEM, or science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and Intellectual Property on Aug. 10-14, 2014, in Santa Clara, California.

This multiday professional development training opportunity is designed to help middle and high school teachers incorporate concepts of making, inventing, and creating and protecting intellectual into classroom instruction. Participants are expected to implement lessons learned from the institute into their schools and school districts in an effort to support development of a STEM/innovation- learning ecosystem.

The institute is open to teachers nationwide. Apply to be a part of this exciting cohort. Travel and lodging expenses will be covered for teachers who are traveling more than 50 miles to the venue in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulations and USPTO travel policy. Space is limited.

The Charles Hayden Planetarium is hosting a two-day, NASA-supported workshop for museum and planetarium educators in Boston on Sept. 15-16, 2014. The workshop will introduce participants to the planetarium’s new fulldome show about spacecraft engineering, as well as a unique set of dome assets for use in live planetarium and/or museum programming. The show and accompanying materials are designed to inspire interest in engineering and related careers among middle school students, but are also appropriate for general audiences. All supplementary content will be made freely available to the planetarium community regardless of show purchase.

The show and materials explore the engineering process using real-life examples of robotic NASA missions, including the James Webb Space Telescope and New Horizons. Footage from the Integration and Testing Facility at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center will illustrate the importance of testing and planning for failure. Other themes explored in the supplementary materials include gravity assists and the use of gravity in space travel, repairing the Hubble Space Telescope and more. Workshop participants will have opportunities to view and work with these materials in the dome.

Participants will be reimbursed for allowable transportation costs and receive a per diem for lodging and meals. Applicants must have current employment or volunteer affiliation with a museum or planetarium within the United States, including museums and planetariums managed by K-12 or higher educational institutions. The deadline to submit applications is July 15, 2014.

Call for Proposals to Develop Coursework for the InTeGrate ProjectInTeGrate is seeking proposals from faculty and instructors to author new undergraduate-level teaching materials and model courses. All materials will be developed, tested and published by collaborative teams drawn from a minimum of three institutions and must support at least two weeks of instruction. Each team member will receive a $15,000 stipend for work authoring, testing, revising and publishing the teaching materials and supporting materials for faculty. Teaching materials will be focused on:

— modules or courses that use a humanities, engineering or social science frame to teach about the Earth.
— modules or courses that bring learning about the Earth into the core majors curricula in biology, engineering, economics or other disciplines, or that bring engineering, economics, business or other disciplines into the core geoscience major.
— modules for introductory geoscience or environmental science on any of six topics integrating geoscience and societal issues.

InTeGrate is funded by a five-year grant from the National Science Foundation. The program supports the teaching of geoscience in the context of societal issues both within geoscience courses and across the undergraduate curricula. The goal of InTeGrate is to develop a citizenry and workforce that can address environmental and resource issues facing our society in a just and sustainable way.

Students and educators have a chance to participate in Sally Ride EarthKAM this summer. The 2014 summer mission is scheduled from July 15-19, 2014. Guide your students in hands-on research as they program a camera aboard the International Space Station to take pictures of specific locations on Earth. The optional online curricula at the Sally Ride EarthKAM website is targeted at middle school students but could easily be adapted for other grade levels. All students and educators are welcome, including participants in afterschool programs.

For more information and to register for the upcoming mission, visit the Sally Ride EarthKAM home page at https://earthkam.ucsd.edu/.

Free Education Webinar Series From NASA Educator Professional Development

NASA Educator Professional Development is presenting a series of free webinars open to all educators. Join NASA education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources to bring NASA into your classroom.

Rockets: Exploring Forces, Motion and Energy With a Blast
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-8Event Date: July 15, 2014, at 11 a.m. EDT
Participants will learn how to launch students’ interest in forces, motion and energy to the next level through the use of rockets. Activities will include designing, building and launching simple rockets while recording, analyzing and graphing data.

Solar System and the Periodic Table
Audience: Pre-service and in-service, Home School and Informal Educators of grades 3-12Event Date: July 17, 2014. Sessions will be offered at noon and 5 p.m. EDT
During this 60-minute webinar, participants will journey from the center to the outer boundaries of our solar system and discover that the periodic table is everywhere!

Space Mathematics Series Part 1: Linking Math and Science
Audience: Pre-service and In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-8Event Date: July 22, 2014, at 7 p.m. EDT
This webinar is the first in a free two-part webinar series to introduce grades 5-8 educators to NASA education resources designed to help make the critical linkage between mathematics and science in the classroom. Participants will discuss the use of linking science as a vehicle for mathematics instruction. Resources include Common Core Mathematics: expressions, equations, statistics, probability, geometry and functions.

Space Mathematics Series Part 2: Active Math
Audience: Pre-service and In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-8Event Date: July 23, 2014, at 7 p.m. EDT
This webinar is the second in a free two-part webinar series to introduce grades 5-8 educators to NASA education resources designed to help make the critical linkage between mathematics and science in the classroom. Participants will discuss how to use inquiry to reinforce mathematics skills while engaging students with hands on activities. Items covered include Common Core mathematics such as measurement and data, and geometry.

The Smithsonian’s Family Day event series celebrates the diverse ethnic and cultural communities that have contributed to aviation and space exploration. Events will commemorate historic and current contributions through presentations and activities for the entire family. The events are free and open to the public.

Milestones in Aviation and Space
July 16, 2014, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. EDT
National Air and Space Museum in Washington, District of Columbia
Explore how aviation and space exploration have changed the world. Enjoy hands-on activities and story time, learn about Amelia Earhart’s accomplishments from an interpretive actor, and hear tales of innovations from a current NASA astronaut.http://airandspace.si.edu/events/detail.cfm?id=10835

Discover the Moon Day! July 25, 2014, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. EDT National Air and Space Museum in Washington, District of Columbia
Celebrate Earth’s moon! Interact one-on-one with Museum scientists who are active in lunar research, learn about current and past lunar missions and spacecraft, see 3-D images of the moon’s surface and more!http://airandspace.si.edu/events/moonday/

We Share STEM! Connecting Across Cultures
Aug. 2, 2014, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. EDT
National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia
Learn about the contributions of scientists and engineers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, professions across cultures. Talk to an astronaut, meet pilots and see their helicopters, including a gyroplane, and participate in hands-on activities. Spanish-language activities and story times along with events featuring Latino STEM professionals will also take place.http://airandspace.si.edu/events/detail.cfm?id=10772Questions about this series of events should be directed to the Visitor Service line at 202-633-1000.

Free Lecture — Exploring Pluto and Its Satellites at the Solar System’s Frontier

NASA’s New Horizons mission launched in 2006 and is approaching the Pluto system. It is the first mission to an outer planet since Voyager in 1989. On July 16, 2014, New Horizons team leader Alan Stern, Pluto scientist William McKinnon and science writer Dava Sobel will discuss the program’s goals for exploring the Pluto system next year and its place in the history of exploration.

The lecture begins at 8 p.m. EDT at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, District of Columbia.

NASA is seeking proposals from universities to advance the agency’s plans for exploration to deep space and Mars. The Early Stage Innovations NASA Research Announcement calls for innovative space technology proposals that could benefit the space program, other government agencies and the greater aerospace community.

Aligned with NASA’s Space Technology Roadmaps and priorities identified by the National Research Council, NASA selected topic areas that lend themselves to pioneering approaches where U.S. universities can help solve tough space technology challenges.

“The sparks to fuel the fire of innovation that will develop the new space technologies of tomorrow reside within American universities,” said Michael Gazarik, NASA’s associate administrator for the Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in the District of Columbia. “These investments benefit government space technology development and our future missions, while also boosting economic growth and competitiveness.”

NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, or STMD, expects to make approximately 12 awards this fall, with total award amounts of up to $500,000. Research and development efforts will take place over two to three years.

Only accredited U.S. universities may submit proposals under this solicitation. The deadline for submitting final proposals is July 21, 2014. To view the announcement and information for submitting proposals, visit http://go.nasa.gov/1mRS9y8.

NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate is innovating, developing, testing and flying hardware for use in NASA’s future missions. Over the next 18 months, the directorate will make significant new investments to address several high-priority challenges for achieving safe and affordable deep space exploration.

The current topic areas support four of eight key STMD technology thrust areas: advanced life support and resource use, Mars entry descent and landing systems, space robotic systems, and lightweight space structures. Additionally, the technology topics solicited support the effort to send humans to Mars as well as outer planetary investment priorities.

U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) has introduced a new Postsecondary Sustainability Award for the 2014-2015 cycle. In addition to a total of five school and district nominees, each state may nominate one postsecondary institution for exemplary achievement in all three of the program’s Pillars: Reduced Environmental Impact and Costs, Improved Health and Wellness, and Effective Environmental and Sustainability Education. For this award, state selection committees are particularly encouraged to document how the nominees’ sustainability work has reduced college costs, increased completion rates, led to employment, and ensured robust civic skills among graduates; and to make an effort to consider diverse types of institutions. Interested colleges and universities should contact their state higher education authorities for information on how to apply in their states.

Like the PK-12 awards, this category is entirely voluntary. Hearing from interested colleges and universities may be helpful to state authorities considering 2014 – 2015 participation. State higher education authorities should contact U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools for more information. They can find updated criteria and other state implementation guidance on our website. All state authorities are encouraged to indicate their intent to nominate in 2015 by Aug. 1, 2014.

Competitions vary by state, but most states will be posting their applications in the fall with deadlines to submit to them in the winter. State authorities’ school, district and postsecondary nominations are due to the Department of Education by Feb. 1, 2015. Interested PK-12 schools and districts should continue to contact their state education agencies about the school and district award applications. Do you have doubts about ED-GRS? Some Frequently Asked Questions on all three award categories are available here.

The NASA Innovations in Climate Education, or NICE, team is going on the road this summer to visit groups of teachers who connected with them for the online sessions offered throughout the 2013-2014 school year.

Onsite “Ask NICE” workshops will be offered during the first week of August to provide NASA Earth Systems Science training for middle and high school teachers. Many NASA resources will be investigated and time will be spent learning how to collect and analyze data. NICE is funded through the Minority University Research and Education Program, or MUREP.

Louisiana Tech University is teaming up with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center to offer a 10-week course for educators interested in putting a space-themed twist on learning. The course is designed to be a self-paced, online professional development experience focusing on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM, education resources available from NASA. These resources have application methods for use in grades 4-9 classrooms with the goal of advancing high quality STEM education utilizing NASA’s unique capabilities.

The Zero Robotics High School Tournament 2014 will take place this fall, offering U. S. high school students the opportunity to design experiments that will be tested in space.

Zero Robotics challenges high school student teams to write their own algorithms to fly the Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites, or SPHERES. The competition starts online where teams compete to solve an annual challenge guided by mentors. Students can create, edit, share, save, simulate and submit code from a Web browser. After several phases of virtual competition, finalists will be selected to compete in a live championship aboard the International Space Station.

Registration for the competition closes on Sept. 5, 2014. The competition begins with a live webcast kickoff event from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Sept. 6, 2014.

Zero Robotics is organized by Massachusetts Institute of Technology Space Systems Laboratory, Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation and TopCoder, and is sponsored by The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, NASA and the Center for Advancement of Science in Space.

The Humans in Space Art Program and NASA’s International Space Station Program have teamed up to launch the international Humans in Space Art Challenge. How will humans use space science and technology to benefit humanity? College students and early career professionals are invited to ponder this question and to express an answer creatively in a video less than three minutes long. Video artwork can be of any style, featuring original animation, sketches, music, live action drama, poetry, dance, Rube Goldberg machines, apps, etc. Younger students may also participate, but all artwork will be judged in one age category.

Individuals or teams of participants should include one clear reference to the International Space Station in their videos and may use space station footage if desired.

An interdisciplinary team of space representatives and art experts will evaluate the videos. NASA and the Humans in Space Art program will make the highest scoring artwork visible worldwide through online and local touring events. NASA will also take the winning video on a trip into orbit on the International Space Station and provide montages with flown patches for winners.

NASA’s Space Life and Physical Sciences Office and the International Space Station Program Office are seeking hypothesis-driven research concept papers that use the International Space Station as a microgravity platform in the space life and physical sciences disciplines.

Concept papers should describe ground-based research that can be enhanced by flying in a microgravity environment on the space station. Concept papers selected will have the opportunity to submit a full flight proposal based on the merit of the research presented. NASA anticipates selecting 10 submissions to receive monetary awards. Selected awardees will be invited to submit full proposals on their research, which may result in one flight opportunity for student researchers.

Graduate students and post-doctoral fellows from all categories of U.S. institutions who have never conducted or been involved in space research are eligible to submit papers. Student research and scientists from EPSCoR (Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) jurisdiction institutions are specifically encouraged to participate.

Ever wonder what it’s like to live and work in space? Find out directly from NASA astronauts at the Destination Station event taking place in San Diego, California, July 13-20, 2014.

During the event, NASA will share the accomplishments, promise and opportunities for research aboard the International Space Station. Plus, NASA’s newest exhibit, Destination Station, will be on hand. This multimedia exhibit showcases what it’s like to live aboard the International Space Station. The exhibit will be open to the public through Sept. 2 at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in San Diego.To learn more and to see a schedule of events, visit https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/news/destination_station/index.html.

Call for Proposals to Develop Coursework for the InTeGrate ProjectInTeGrate is seeking proposals from faculty and instructors to author new undergraduate-level teaching materials and model courses. All materials will be developed, tested and published by collaborative teams drawn from a minimum of three institutions and must support at least two weeks of instruction. Each team member will receive a $15,000 stipend for work authoring, testing, revising and publishing the teaching materials and supporting materials for faculty. Teaching materials will be focused on:

— modules or courses that use a humanities, engineering or social science frame to teach about the Earth.
— modules or courses that bring learning about the Earth into the core majors curricula in biology, engineering, economics or other disciplines, or that bring engineering, economics, business or other disciplines into the core geoscience major.
— modules for introductory geoscience or environmental science on any of six topics integrating geoscience and societal issues.

InTeGrate is funded by a five-year grant from the National Science Foundation. The program supports the teaching of geoscience in the context of societal issues both within geoscience courses and across the undergraduate curricula. The goal of InTeGrate is to develop a citizenry and workforce that can address environmental and resource issues facing our society in a just and sustainable way.

Students and educators have a chance to participate in Sally Ride EarthKAM this summer. The 2014 summer mission is scheduled from July 15-19, 2014. Guide your students in hands-on research as they program a camera aboard the International Space Station to take pictures of specific locations on Earth. The optional online curricula at the Sally Ride EarthKAM website is targeted at middle school students but could easily be adapted for other grade levels. All students and educators are welcome, including participants in afterschool programs.

For more information and to register for the upcoming mission, visit the Sally Ride EarthKAM home page at https://earthkam.ucsd.edu/.

The Smithsonian’s Family Day event series celebrates the diverse ethnic and cultural communities that have contributed to aviation and space exploration. Events will commemorate historic and current contributions through presentations and activities for the entire family. The events are free and open to the public.

Milestones in Aviation and Space
July 16, 2014, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. EDT
National Air and Space Museum in Washington, District of Columbia
Explore how aviation and space exploration have changed the world. Enjoy hands-on activities and story time, learn about Amelia Earhart’s accomplishments from an interpretive actor, and hear tales of innovations from a current NASA astronaut.http://airandspace.si.edu/events/detail.cfm?id=10835

Discover the Moon Day! July 25, 2014, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. EDT National Air and Space Museum in Washington, District of Columbia
Celebrate Earth’s moon! Interact one-on-one with Museum scientists who are active in lunar research, learn about current and past lunar missions and spacecraft, see 3-D images of the moon’s surface and more!http://airandspace.si.edu/events/moonday/

We Share STEM! Connecting Across Cultures
Aug. 2, 2014, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. EDT
National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia
Learn about the contributions of scientists and engineers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, professions across cultures. Talk to an astronaut, meet pilots and see their helicopters, including a gyroplane, and participate in hands-on activities. Spanish-language activities and story times along with events featuring Latino STEM professionals will also take place.http://airandspace.si.edu/events/detail.cfm?id=10772Questions about this series of events should be directed to the Visitor Service line at 202-633-1000.

Free Lecture — Exploring Pluto and Its Satellites at the Solar System’s Frontier

NASA’s New Horizons mission launched in 2006 and is approaching the Pluto system. It is the first mission to an outer planet since Voyager in 1989. On July 16, 2014, New Horizons team leader Alan Stern, Pluto scientist William McKinnon and science writer Dava Sobel will discuss the program’s goals for exploring the Pluto system next year and its place in the history of exploration.

The lecture begins at 8 p.m. EDT at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, District of Columbia.

NASA is seeking proposals from universities to advance the agency’s plans for exploration to deep space and Mars. The Early Stage Innovations NASA Research Announcement calls for innovative space technology proposals that could benefit the space program, other government agencies and the greater aerospace community.

Aligned with NASA’s Space Technology Roadmaps and priorities identified by the National Research Council, NASA selected topic areas that lend themselves to pioneering approaches where U.S. universities can help solve tough space technology challenges.

“The sparks to fuel the fire of innovation that will develop the new space technologies of tomorrow reside within American universities,” said Michael Gazarik, NASA’s associate administrator for the Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in the District of Columbia. “These investments benefit government space technology development and our future missions, while also boosting economic growth and competitiveness.”

NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, or STMD, expects to make approximately 12 awards this fall, with total award amounts of up to $500,000. Research and development efforts will take place over two to three years.

Only accredited U.S. universities may submit proposals under this solicitation. The deadline for submitting final proposals is July 23, 2014. To view the announcement and information for submitting proposals, visit http://go.nasa.gov/1mRS9y8.

NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate is innovating, developing, testing and flying hardware for use in NASA’s future missions. Over the next 18 months, the directorate will make significant new investments to address several high-priority challenges for achieving safe and affordable deep space exploration.

The current topic areas support four of eight key STMD technology thrust areas: advanced life support and resource use, Mars entry descent and landing systems, space robotic systems, and lightweight space structures. Additionally, the technology topics solicited support the effort to send humans to Mars as well as outer planetary investment priorities.

U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) has introduced a new Postsecondary Sustainability Award for the 2014-2015 cycle. In addition to a total of five school and district nominees, each state may nominate one postsecondary institution for exemplary achievement in all three of the program’s Pillars: Reduced Environmental Impact and Costs, Improved Health and Wellness, and Effective Environmental and Sustainability Education. For this award, state selection committees are particularly encouraged to document how the nominees’ sustainability work has reduced college costs, increased completion rates, led to employment, and ensured robust civic skills among graduates; and to make an effort to consider diverse types of institutions. Interested colleges and universities should contact their state higher education authorities for information on how to apply in their states.

Like the PK-12 awards, this category is entirely voluntary. Hearing from interested colleges and universities may be helpful to state authorities considering 2014 – 2015 participation. State higher education authorities should contact U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools for more information. They can find updated criteria and other state implementation guidance on our website. All state authorities are encouraged to indicate their intent to nominate in 2015 by Aug. 1, 2014.

Competitions vary by state, but most states will be posting their applications in the fall with deadlines to submit to them in the winter. State authorities’ school, district and postsecondary nominations are due to the Department of Education by Feb. 1, 2015. Interested PK-12 schools and districts should continue to contact their state education agencies about the school and district award applications. Do you have doubts about ED-GRS? Some Frequently Asked Questions on all three award categories are available here.

The Zero Robotics High School Tournament 2014 will take place this fall, offering U. S. high school students the opportunity to design experiments that will be tested in space.

Zero Robotics challenges high school student teams to write their own algorithms to fly the Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites, or SPHERES. The competition starts online where teams compete to solve an annual challenge guided by mentors. Students can create, edit, share, save, simulate and submit code from a Web browser. After several phases of virtual competition, finalists will be selected to compete in a live championship aboard the International Space Station.

Registration for the competition closes on Sept. 5, 2014. The competition begins with a live webcast kickoff event from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Sept. 6, 2014.

Zero Robotics is organized by Massachusetts Institute of Technology Space Systems Laboratory, Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation and TopCoder, and is sponsored by The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, NASA and the Center for Advancement of Science in Space.

The Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite-2, or ICESat-2, mission will host the 2015 ICESat-2 Mission Hexacopter Engineering Challenge at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland., on April 17, 2015. This challenge will task teams of students with measuring the height of Earth around us, from tree canopies to bodies of water. This challenge will be the first of its kind in a yearly series of ICESat-2 engineering challenge events.

Student teams will be selected to participate in this challenge through a proposal and selection process. Participating teams will design and build hexacopter multirotors that can create a digital elevation model of a specific area within a predetermined amount of time. Students will also submit technical and educational reports describing in detail their efforts throughout the competition process.

This challenge is open to undergraduate college students from accredited U.S. colleges and universities. Teams may consist of one to five students and a university mentor/instructor. Due to the nature of the challenge, multidisciplinary teams are encouraged.

The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN, or MAVEN, mission is set to arrive at Mars on Sept. 21, 2014. Celebrate the arrival with the MAVEN education team at this one-day workshop about the mission and the accompanying elementary program, Red Planet: Read, Write, Explore! The program features six standards-based lessons that combine science, literacy and art to help students understand planetary habitability and the MAVEN mission.

The workshop will include dinner and lectures by MAVEN scientists. Following the workshop, participants will watch the NASA TV broadcast of the MAVEN spacecraft’s arrival at Mars.

The workshop will take place on Sept. 21, 2014, in Boulder, Colorado. Registration is $20 and includes coffee, snacks and dinner. Applications are due Sept. 15, 2014, but space is limited so interested educators are encouraged to apply early.

NASA is inviting people around the world to submit their names to be etched on a microchip aboard a spacecraft headed to the asteroid Bennu in 2016.

The “Messages to Bennu!” microchip will travel to the asteroid aboard the Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith Explorer, or OSIRIS-REx, spacecraft. The robotic mission will spend more than two years at the asteroid, which has a width of approximately 1,760 feet (500 meters). The spacecraft will collect a sample of Bennu’s surface and return it to Earth in a sample return capsule.

The deadline to submit names online is Sept. 30, 2014. Participants who submit their names to the “Messages to Bennu!” campaign will be able to print a certificate of appreciation to document their involvement.

Participants who “follow” or “like” the mission on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/OSIRISREx) will receive updates on the location of their names in space from launch time until the asteroid samples return to Earth in 2023. Facebook fans also will receive mission progress and late-breaking news through regular status updates.

NASA is launching two challenges to give the public an opportunity to create innovative ways to use data from the agency’s Earth science satellites.

The challenges will use the Open NASA Earth Exchange, or OpenNEX. OpenNEX is a data, supercomputing and knowledge platform where users can share modeling and analysis codes, scientific results, knowledge and expertise to solve big data challenges in the Earth sciences. A component of the NASA Earth Exchange, OpenNEX provides users a large collection of climate and Earth science satellite data sets, including global land surface images, vegetation conditions, climate observations and climate projections.

The first ideation stage of the challenge, which runs through Aug. 1 2014, offers as much as $10,000 in awards for ideas on novel uses of the datasets. The second builder stage, beginning in August, will offer between $30,000 and $50,000 in awards for the development of an application or algorithm that promotes climate resilience using the OpenNEX data, based on ideas from the first stage of the challenge. NASA will announce the overall challenge winners in December.

To educate citizen scientists on how the data on OpenNEX can be used, NASA is releasing a series of online video lectures and hands-on lab modules. To view this material, and for information on registering for the challenges, visit https://nex.nasa.gov/OpenNEX.